Recruiting College Students to Change the Culture of Substance Abuse
Erica Upshaw works arduously to help students make smart decisions regarding alcohol and other drug use. With both her keynote and non-profit, Keep Friendship Alive, she advocates for students to party smart by sharing her story of personal loss and preventive tips to help prevent dangerous situations.
With all her endeavors taking off, Erica still feels there is more she can do. After much research this past summer into substance abuse prevention, Erica found a gap in the education. She now plans to launch a new, modern and unconventional substance abuse prevention program for middle school students is in the works, due to launch next year.
Through her non-profit, Keep Friendship Alive, Erica will be recruiting college students to serve as role models to inspire younger students to pursue their passions and steer clear of substance abuse. The goal of this new program is to create a movement that will change the culture of alcohol and drug abuse in America. Next year, college students will start visiting their local middle schools to launch a guerilla marketing campaign, facilitate discussions on a video series, lead fun activities and spark change in young people everywhere.
Currently, Keep Friendship Alive is raising funds to create the research-based curriculum and to equip college students with the cutting edge tools they need to make a successful and memorable impact. By educating students at a young age, this program hopes to instill healthy and smart choices among students once they’ve entered the social realm of college. With positive role models in their lives, middle school students will get the chance to see what older students are doing to fulfill their dreams, passions and interests—rather than Propagate the dangerous culture of alcohol and other drugs.
Erica’s passion for spreading a positive message about alcohol awareness developed after the loss of her best friend and older brother, Joey, to an overdose on drugs and alcohol. After reflecting on the high-risk drinking and reckless behavior that her and her brother were partaking in, Erica took a stand to help keep friendship alive on campuses across the country.
She now devotes her time to saving the lives of college students. A true ally in this fight, Erica’s new program is looking for college students who are just as passionate as her to help in the prevention of alcohol and drug related deaths. If you, or someone you know would be interested in joining this movement, please contact Erica at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and take a survey at erica.speakerpulse.com, and be entered in a drawing to win a free iPad2.
Erica’s keynote, Keep Friendship Alive, is great for alcohol awareness, athletes or Fraternity and Sorority Life programming or for any other group wanting a realistic approach to alcohol and drug education. Check out campuspeak.com/upshaw to learn more about Erica’s story, her keynote and to watch her video.
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